Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Breaking Down A Bounty o' Boots

We live in a time where a guy can grow a wild hair to order boots at Noon on Friday, and have 5 pairs, from 3 different vendors, show up at his door on Monday by 2:45 pm. God Bless America!




The Lowa Tibets clocked-in at 4 1/2 lbs:






The Crispi Wyoming is 1 oz shy o' 4# :






Zamberlan Vioz was 2 oz under 4# (though they looked much heavier):




Zamberlan 960 Guide = a little over 4#:





Asolo Fugitive are the lightweights of the group, at just over 3 1/2 lbs:



(cont.)

And for a baseline, here are the Asolo TPS 520's that will retired to yard work:





None of the recent arrivals have gotten to my feet yet. I gotta head to an appt., so maybe this evening I'll get first impressions.


FC

I love my Lowas!

TAG. Can you include prices of each?

The Zamberlans and Lowas would be my picks. Not too interested in all the seams and stitching and nylon on the Crispi and Asolos. Looks like weight is close enough to be not much of a factor. Whatever fits best goes hunting.

I'm currently using a pair identical to those you are retiring. They have been easily among the best boots I've ever owned.
Avoid lots of stitching/ multiple fabrics.

Here's the whole lineup:





Again, I only considered boots that were available in wide/extra wide. I'm only looking at uninsulated boots, 'cause if I'm moving even a little bit, my feet will be sweating like a cub scout at Neverland Ranch. Accordingly, wicking ability was given strong attention. Mostly I've worn 8" boots, but decided to try a couple 10" boots to see what they did for my weak ankles. I read lots of reviews to look at general opinion trends, giving extra weight to what I read on hunting sites vs. backpacking sites. While there are doubtless other brands 'n models to choose from, I felt like this gave me a reasonable selection to consider.

I tested each pair wearing just a merino liner (which how I roll 90+% of the time), then with a mid-weight wool sock, and lastly with the liner and a heavy wool sock. Afterward, I wore a couple pairs around in just the liner again, to confirm my initial findings. Finally, I wore the "winner" again with each of the 3 socks, just to be sure.

Naturally, I'm not gonna keep 'em all. Hence, I played with 'em around the house on hardwood & carpet, up & down stairs, etc. They all still look great, and the also-rans will be returned. If anyone wants to blow me crap for not pulling 25 miles during an ice storm in a boulder-strewn granite valley, with each of the 5 pairs, then do what ye must. You'll probably also find grievous fault with the fact that none of the contenders were thrown off the roof multiple times to see if they'd still track straight. If that's the case, I should have just titled this thread, "What's the best $300 Subaru?", so I could sit back & watch everyone fight. In the end, I just tried I'd do what I could with what I could find.

I will list the price paid for each, and the source. I didn't consider price until I could verify that a place actually had the wide model in stock. Only then would I look at pricing. If you can find better deals, please let us know where.

The results were surprisingly clear. I can't say that anyone else would pick them in the order I did, but seeing as how nobody else has my feet, that kinda makes sense. Everyone has to choose for themselves, but perhaps something in the following discussions will prove useful in helping others decide what might work for them.

On to the results.

FC

(cont.)

Lets hear the results man!

5th Place: Lowa Tibet GTX, $395, REI (online).














It kinda surprising that the "last place" boot for me, was very likely the best built. The leather is robust to the point of nearly being too stiff. The lower eyelets have ball bearings for smooth 'n easy movement of the laces, and the last one before the ankle cleat flips up for lacing, then locks down into place to hold all of the font-of-the-foot lacing in place. The ankle cleats are very substantial, and the lower leg cleats can rotate to accommodate different lacing patterns. The sole is robust, and there's a rubber rand covering the entire circumference of the boot. (That would have been awfully handy on the Asolo's I'm retiring.) Finally, the Lowa's had substantially more arch support than any of the other boots.


Ball bearing eyelets:





Locking eyelet up:





Locking eyelet down:





Alas, they just didn't work for me. The boots seemed somewhat tight in the toe, but very loose in the midsection & heel. Many different lacing patterns couldn't make them work for me - lots of heel slippage. Maybe my feet are wide, but don't have enough "volume" to fill up this boot. In the end, I felt every bit of their 4 1/2 lbs. as I walked.

Another downer for me was the 10" height. It's been many years since I've worn a 10" boot, and this exercise immediately reminded me why. While I'd thought I'd enjoy the extra ankle support, it was uncomfortable just to wear the higher boots, much less to walk around in them. The extra heat was quite noticeable, too. Perhaps a shorter version of this boot would agree better with me.

I don't begrudge anyone who loves these boots, but for me they were out of the running almost immediately.

(cont.)

FC, you should be a screenwriter since you have the clffhanger thing down pat. I have zero interest in this type of footwear, but am awaiting your next 4 reveals with bated breath.

4th Place: Asolo Fugitive GTX, $265, REI (online).



















I've owned 3 pairs of these boots in the past dozen years. They always felt like house slippers. I could even run trails in 'em. However, 2 of the 3 pairs lost their waterproofing pretty quickly, and the soles on the last pair delaminated. I wanted to think they could still be a good match for my feet, but it didn't turn out that way. This sample didn't feel nearly as generous in the toe area as my previous pairs. In fact, what was once widest toe box I could find, was the narrowest of the 5 pairs being tested. Initially, I could only get a fair level of comfort in the mid-weight wool sock, but not in the liner, or the liner+heavy sock combination. I tried them again after going through all 5 pairs, just to confirm that my initial experience was so different with a pair of boots I was seemingly so familiar with. I also found it odd that they didn't "feel" as much lighter than the other pairs, as they actually were.

As I mentioned at the outset, the 5 pairs of boots aren't exactly comparable in purpose. I wanted to check these out because I had found them so versatile, despite their lightweight & extra flexibility: I had taken my previous pairs into tougher territory, and with heavier loads, than I'd have expected. Wearing the other pairs, however, showed me I have better options today than I used to.

(cont.)

Can we get pics of each underwater next to, say, a rifle or dead fish? Thanks

"my feet will be sweating like a cub scout at Neverland Ranch." I laughed out loud on that one. Hope I can remember it!! lol

3rd Place: Zamberlan 960 Guide GTX RR WL , $359.95, Amazon (online).














I'd probably have liked this boot more if it weren't a 10" tall, but I went through my hang-ups about that earlier. The toe box was almost adequate, but nothing to brag about. The sole, however, was shaped such that the boot wanted to "roll through" each step, making walking seem easier. It seemed as if the heel was a touch thicker on both Zamberlans than the other boots, so maybe that accounted for it. In any event, it was kinda cool.

This boot does have a rubber rand, but it only goes 3/4 of the way around the boot. I can't say what real-world difference it would make: perhaps it saves weight? At 4-ish lbs., I'm not sure why they didn't just circle the whole damned boot.

One issue that befuddled me slightly was that I tough time getting the toe & mid-foot area secured well in this boot. Some comparing found that the Guide boot had 4 pairs of eyelets below the ankle cleat, while the Vioz had 5 sets of eyelets. For my feet, I guess that last set of eyelets allowed me to lace things up more comfortably down there.





Another issue for both of the Zamberlan boots is that the ankle cleat isn't set very far back (or down toward the heel) from the line of the other eyelets & cleats. As such, I found it hard to truly get my heel locked in with either pair of these boots, vs. the others.

The pictures show a suede exterior here, vs full grain leather for the Vioz. I dunno if it matters all that much to me, but it might to some.

In any event, these were more comfortable than the first 2 pairs, and not as comfortable as the next 2.

(cont.)

How about on top of a Tract Toric scope, with a Subaru on top of them both? Hell, I could even put a pair of the BEST $300 binoculars on the dashboard.

And where do I put the GFY sticker?

FC

2nd Place: Zamberlan 996 Vioz GTX WL , $305, BlackOvis.com (online).














This boot was a noticeable step up in comfort from the first 3. The basic design is a lot like the Asolo TPS 520's being retired. For instance, it's full grain leather, but doesn't have a rubber rand. Many different reviews talked about the comfort, and I largely agreed. As mentioned before, the extra set of eyelets made it possible for me to get good comfort and securing of the toe & mid-foot area. The "roll through" feeling of the sole was present in this one, though to a bit lesser extent than in the Guide. Like I said, the shorter boot was much better for me than the taller Guide. The toe box was also slightly roomier than in the Guide. The downfall, again, was the "shallow" location of the ankle cleat, preventing me from getting the ankle lock I'd prefer.

I've read good reports of Zamberlan's from a couple different posters here, and they're likely a solid option for lots of people. I just found a boot that worked better for me.

(cont.)

Winner: Crispi Wyoming Rubber GTX Brown EE , $339, BlackOvis.com (online).















I'd have done well to wear a condom when I tried these on. Yes, they were comfortable. Wildly so. About like my Dad shoes - New Balance wide running shoes.

There wasn’t any noticeable extra arch support, but the entire insole conformed very well to my foot. The toebox is by far the widest of the five boots I tried. According to Crispi, the Wyoming’s is the widest toebox in all of the boots they make.

The sole exhibits the same kind of “roll-through” as did the Zamberlan Guide, and walking around was effortless. The sole also gave a great blend of stiffness and flexibility. In fact, these boots felt even lighter than the Asolo’s, though they weighed nearly half a pound more.

I was able to find complete comfort in all three levels of sock thickness. With the liner and heavy wool sock, this boot was even more comfortable versus all the others.

The toe and mid-foot areas were completely comfortable, even though they had only four eyelets in that area. None of the eyelets would swivel with different lacing combinations, but it was never an issue with this boot.

This boot didn’t seem to “hug“ my heel the way some of the others had, but there was still zero slippage back there.

I spent quite a bit of time on the Crispi website trying to decide which boot might work best for me. I wanted a thicker sole, versus a foam sole, given that I might be carrying a decent amount of weight in a backpack (and on account of that I’m Horizontally Blessed). I wanted a rubber rand, based on how badly the sides of my old boots had been torn up by rocks. I wanted lots of breathability, but still good support. I think this model checks off just about all of my boxes.

I have to say that I was shocked at how quickly BlackOvis got the boots to me. From Friday at noon Eastern time, to Monday at 2:45 PM, and being shipped all the way from Salt Lake City? I’m awfully happy with that. It goes without saying that I’m happy that they actually had the size, and width, that I wanted, in stock.

This exercise showed me that my feet are flatter, and wider than they used to be. It showed me that I was more comfortable in all boots with a midweight sock, than with just a liner. And it showed me that it’s probably a good idea to revisit my preferences in gear every now and again.

FC

Great write up. That's how it should be done.

This review is very helpful for me. I "grew out" of my old Cableas Meindls, and need a new pair of hunting boots for this fall/winter. I may be looking at the Crisi Idaho or Wyoming boots.

If they're waterproof I wonder how long it will last? I wear Salomons and they're been the most comfortable boot I can find.